She Who Sails the Sea of Serenity
by Nyota Hyena
Summary: AU. When the Tsukino-Chiba family decides to move to a small town in Montana, USA, Chibiusa is incredibly disappointed. She has to leave behind her life and friends and Tokyo for a new country altogether. However, a string of disappearances leaves the town of Serenity in a state of worry, and Chibiusa is plunged in the middle of it all. Rating may or may not go up.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Well, there are two kinds of Sailor Moon fanfics that I enjoy: AU's, and fics starring Chibiusa and the Sailor Quartet. But I still have yet to see one that combines the two, so I decided to make one! There will be a few OCs, but they will be either unimportant (as in family of the Quartet) or villains. Hopefully they'll be tolerable and won't seem like Mary/Gary Sues.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. That amazing creation belongs to the equally amazing Naoko Takeuchi.**

**Prologue**

The chamber was dark. Forlorn and empty, not a spark of light existed within these halls…that is, until, the single flame of a candle penetrated the darkness.

The man with the candle in his hand strode silently around the mostly unlit chamber, unperturbed by the lighting situation. He had a rather thoughtful expression on his face, looking as if his mind was somewhere else entirely. His facial features were hard and his jaw thickset. His hair was long and the color of chocolate, as was the mustache and the beard trimmed right below the chin. With his dark brown eyes and thick eyebrows narrowed, he looked like the sort of man that nobody would want to cross, especially when he waved his free hand. This caused a long row of candles attached to the wall to light up, as if ignited by an invisible fuse. Smirking slightly at his own achievement, the man blew out his own candle and sat down at the head of a mahogany colored table lined with velvet red tablecloth. He placed his candle at the center of this table.

"Varuld?"

The speaker was a woman, with amber-colored eyes and wavy golden-blonde hair. While she was quite beautiful, it was apparent that this woman cared more about power and physical prowess than beauty. Her jaw was thickset like the man's, and her expression was severe.

The man, Varuld, regarded the woman with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. Finally, he gave her a smile like that of a host greeting his guest and said, "Oh, hello there, Hatula. I was wondering when you would come. Are the others with you?"

The woman, Hatula, sighed, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. "They should be," she huffed, irritated. "They're just being slower than usual."

"Come sit," Varuld invited her, and with swift grace, Hatula gilded to the mahogany chair on Varuld's right.

"Shall we wait for the others?" she questioned, with something of a sneer crossing her face. Varuld shook his head at her inquiry.

"Wait? I do not think that we would need to do any more of that," he replied, eying the doorway as four more figures sauntered into the candlelit room—two men and two women. One of the men was rather small and sharp, with dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and brown eyes that were currently narrowed, giving him the look of a cat stalking its prey. The second man was taller with dirty blond hair, and while he was the youngest male, he also seemed to be the most arrogant of the whole group. The woman wrapped around his left arm wore a devilish leer and a tight, form-fitting dress. With platinum blonde locks, ice blue eyes, and a curvy figure, she was probably the most beautiful of the women. The last of the bunch was also the youngest—a girl with auburn hair and a round face who looked to be only a teenager. She trailed behind the other three and had a rather vacant expression on her face.

"So you finally decide to show up," Varuld remarked evenly, not getting up from his chair.

It was the catlike man, named Lilandu, who spoke for the quartet. He lowered his gaze out of respect. "We are sorry. It will not happen again."

"It was Balida's fault, anyway," the beautiful woman, Nanami, added waspishly, still clinging to the arrogant man, her lover Koduro. "She didn't want to come."

"That's not true!" Balida the teenager cried indignantly, snapping out of her reverie. Nanami opened her mouth to make a scathing reply when Varuld held up his hand for silence.

"What matters is that you are all here now," he said smoothly, though he was starting to sound just as irritated as Hatula looked. "Now sit down; as you can all imagine, we have some important matters to discuss."

Hesitantly, the four made their way to the candlelit table, each taking a seat. Balida sat on Hatula's right. Koduro sat on Varuld's left, Nanami instantly taking the seat next to him. This left Lilandu at the opposite end of the table from Varuld.

"Now before we start our discussion," Varuld began after everyone had gotten settled in. "Let us have a little drink." He waved his hand and six silver goblets appeared on the velvet tablecloth. Each goblet was full to the brim with deep red liquid. Koduro picked up his goblet and sniffed it.

"What is this stuff?" he inquired gruffly.

Varuld chuckled. "Wine, my friend," he responded, amused. "A rather delicious drink from Earth. If there's one thing the Terrans have done right, it's creating this."

Koduro peered at it, as if trying to figure out if it had been poisoned. Finally, he shrugged and downed the drink in a few gulps. Nanami followed his lead, albeit more daintily. Lilandu took a few careful sips, while Hatula and Balida didn't touch it.

"I'm not touching something that came from the wretches of Earth," Hatula spat in contempt, glaring at the goblet as if it had done her a personal wrong. Balida said nothing. Varuld merely chuckled again, before taking a few sips from his own goblet and setting it down afterwards.

"Now I do believe we have things to discuss," he continued. "Not enough Terran humans are getting sacrificed to the great god Dulancammaka in order for him to wake."

"If you don't mind my interruption," Lilandu cut in. "If we attack too many humans at once, the Terrans will start to notice a pattern. They're not completely stupid."

Varuld nodded approvingly. "Fair point. What we need to bring in is a disaster of sorts, a monster or event that could kill tons of humans without getting us noticed. So far, all of our tactics have only killed few. Any ideas?"

"I could bring in one of my darlings," Nanami purred. "They've always been so eager to get their jaws around humankind."

"Or one of my creations," Hatula broke in, shooting a quick glare at Nanami. The two women have always had a sort of rivalry happening between them.

Koduro forcefully set his empty goblet on the table. A _thud_ resounded from the impact of the silver hitting the wood. With a sinister leer, he said, "I have made the perfect beast for this job. It can attack many Terrans at once, and yet resembles one of the Terran animals…I believe it's called a bull? Therefore, we can kill many humans, and they will attribute it to a freak accident. It is an excellent plan, is it not?"

Varuld smirked. "An excellent plan indeed. Release this…bull…of yours onto Earth, and be sure that it does its job."

"And what of the Silent Warrior?" Hatula prompted.

For the first time, Varuld's calm demeanor broke into one of fury. Red faced and apoplectic with rage, he slammed his fist into the table and shrieked, "NEVER MENTION THE NAME OF THAT BITCH AGAIN! NOT ON THE SAME SHIP AS THE ALTAR OF THE GREAT GOD DULANCAMMAKA!"

Startled at this sudden change of mood, Hatula drew back. So did the others. Even Koduro looked slightly shaken.

Varuld took a deep breath and grinded his teeth together. "Silent Warrior…that little witch talks of death and destruction…wears her title 'Soldier of Ruin' like a crown…then spouts nonsense about rebirth! Utmost blasphemy!" Bits of saliva flew out of his mouth. "Koduro, I want that beast of yours to slaughter the Silent Warrior. Make her suffer a slow and painful death, and as she dies, and want to laugh in her face! Where's your rebirth now, huh?" Then, all of a sudden, his mood changed to the calm state he was in before. "But Balida…you haven't said anything yet. What do your prophecies speak of?"

Balida drew back, unnerved by the change of mood. "My prophecies are vague," she mumbled. "I haven't had one in weeks."

Varuld laughed suddenly, and Balida shrank into her seat even more. "But surely you can come up with one to tell the victory of us and the rise of Dulancammaka?"

"I don't know…" Balida stammered. "But I…oh," she whispered, her eyes widening. The group looked at her with interest. "Yes, I do see something," she breathed.

"What is it?" Hatula prompted.

"She comes…she comes for us…and she is aided…"

"WHAT?!"

"Aided by five…" Balida continued, unperturbed by Koduro's sudden outburst. "One weaves through the trees, commanding them like an army. Another stabs with daggers of ice, vicious and ruthless. The third has the strength of fifty men, and glides like a bird in the wind. The fourth is a beast of fire, clawing through everything in her path. And the fifth…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yes?" Lilandu interrupted when she paused.

"She is the leader," Balida murmured. "She who rides on the back of a winged horse. Her name shall thunder across the galaxy. She is the oncoming storm, the hurricane that will annihilate us all. She will prevent the great god from rising…"

"Who?" Varuld's patience was quickly waning.

"She who sails the Sea of Serenity…"

"Give us a _name!_" Koduro's fist slammed into the table, just like Varuld had done earlier. Said leader of the six held up his hand for silence. Then Balida spoke again, her voice hoarse and her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Moon…Moon…Moon…"

**So, how was that? These guys will be explained a lot more later, trust me. And can anyone guess who the Silent Warrior actually is?**

**Reviews are appreciated, but please no flames!**


	2. The Move

**Author's Note: So, I just realized that I forgot to explain this AU in the last chapter. So basically, there's no Crystal Tokyo, and Usagi and the Inners were never Senshi. It's kind of like the Parallel Sailor Moon story that stars Kousagi, except it stars Chibiusa and her Senshi. And I had them move to America because I really have no idea how things would work (culture, schooling, all that stuff) in Japan. Besides, it's an AU!**

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.**

It was a rather odd, but certainly true, fact of life that most would not realize just how much he or she has appreciated something until it is taken away. Chibiusa pondered over this, wearing a scowl on her face as she watched the pine trees fly by the window.

It had all started one day after school. Chibiusa's father, Mamoru, had announced that he had accepted a job offer in America. According to him, the family would move to America towards the end of summer. Needless to say, Chibiusa was not very excited. She was perfectly content with her life in Tokyo. Her two best friends, Momoko and Kyusuke, had tried to cheer her up with promises to keep in touch, but to no avail. She was gloomy for the entire summer, especially now that she and her family had landed in America. At least she didn't have a problem with adjusting to new culture. A few years in the country had taught Mamoru everything he needed to know, and he in turn taught Chibiusa and her sister, Kousagi, everything he learned.

Speaking of Kousagi…

"Are we there yet?" Kousagi asked for the umpteenth time, stuffing a handful of crackers into her mouth. Chibiusa sighed and rolled her eyes as their mother shook her head at the question. Both of the Tsukino-Chiba sisters were like miniature versions of their mother, Usagi, in looks, but only Kousagi inherited her personality. Just like Usagi, Kousagi ate, slept, and procrastinated constantly. Meanwhile, the smarter and slightly more serious Chibiusa resembled her father in personality much more.

"So what's the name of the town again?" Chibiusa asked out of curiosity, having forgotten.

"Serenity, Montana," Mamoru replied shortly, concentrating on the road.

"If I'm correct, it's the town of your favorite superhero," Usagi added, beaming at her older daughter.

Chibiusa straightened up slightly at this. Serenity, a small rural town in the state of Montana, was indeed the town of her favorite superhero—the Silent Warrior. Chibiusa discovered the American comic about a year ago, and since then, the heroine clad in purple became her favorite fictional character (well, apparently the comic was based on a true story). She looked up to the girl as a role model, someone able to break barriers and rise above expectations. She had even planned on cosplaying her while going to a convention with her friends…if she still lived in Tokyo, she noted, scowling again.

The drive to their new town was proving to be monotonous. Nothing but trees, mountains, and the occasional bird. She did see a deer once, but that was just about the only exciting thing.

Finally, after what seemed like the longest time, the family drove into a little town. Well, maybe it wasn't that little. It was definitely much smaller than Tokyo, yet it was also bigger than she was expecting. Chibiusa gathered that if the pine trees were taken away, she would be able to tell exactly how large the town of Serenity was. It definitely didn't look like a bad place to live. As they drove to the top of a hill, she could even see a shopping mall in the distance.

The new house was hidden among a maze of trees and side streets. It was approximately the same size as their old house, yet the wood was polished instead of painted. It reminded Chibiusa of a log cabin, complete with a stone chimney. The moving truck was already parked in front of the house, looking very much out of place in the serene little neighborhood.

Unpacking was no easy business. Every member of the family had to rush back and forth, carrying heaps of boxes. Even Kousagi was expected to pitch in, although she had help from her parents. As for Chibiusa? She was stuck carrying her own things in. Carting a particularly heavy box, she wasn't in the mood to explore the house much yet—however, at least she had the first pick of her bedroom. And if Kousagi wanted that room, then first come, first serve! 

Eventually, she dumped the box into a large room in the back. The window offered a view of the forest behind the house. It was a rather nice view, but with a sigh, she realized that she didn't have much time to admire it. There were still many boxes to unpack. She made to turn around and leave, but a flash of gray caught her eye and caused her to look out the window again.

It was a cat. A kitten, by the look of it. It had solid, cement-gray fur. It also lacked a collar. But what intrigued Chibiusa the most about this cat was its face. Its eyes were a beautiful ruby-red shade, a color she knew was not normal for cats. Also on its face was what seemed to be a bald spot right in the middle of its forehead, shaped exactly like a crescent moon turned on its side. The kitten spotted Chibiusa and mewed plaintively. With somewhat of a sad smile, she turned to resume her unpacking.

When she turned back, the cat had vanished.

"Strange," Chibiusa murmured, before returning outside and grabbing another box.

**Author's Note: This chapter was pretty hard to write, and for a reason you can probably guess—nothing happens. Just descriptions and introduction and slight foreshadowing. I apologize for this, and I can also tell you that the pace will pick up during the next couple of chapters. Oh, and the chapters will definitely get longer.**

**Please review! It really gives me motivation to write more! Even constructive criticism will be appreciated! Just no flames, please.**

**Oh, and would anyone be interested in beta-ing this story? I really want to improve my writing, and I'd love to have someone help out, especially with this fanfic. I plan on making it epic and I really don't think I'll be able to pull that off without a beta.**


	3. New Life, New Friends

**Author's Note: Finally, another chapter! Yes, I know it took me a while, but that's probably what my updating speed will probably be. It is longer than the previous two, though, so…enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is owned by Naoko Takeuchi.**

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

_It was a dark, dreary day in the forest. A flash of lightning cracked across the night sky, shattering it into two. Meanwhile, the drumming of thunder pounded constantly amidst the pitter-patter of rain falling on the forest floor. The clouds were dark and ominous, billowing like malignant shadows. And amidst the storm was a girl._

_She ran as fast as she could, twin pigtails of pink streaming behind her. She wore a silver suit of armor, with shining hints of gold and pale pink. Flanking her sides were warriors of flowery yellow, ice blue, forest green, fiery scarlet, and deathly purple. They were all searching for something…and the world depended on it._

"_You think it's here?" asked the warrior in green._

_The warrior in purple nodded. "The energy around it is tremendous. It has to be here. Right, Moon?"_

_The warrior in pink paid no attention to the chatter of her comrades. She instead focused on something in front of her—a crumpled heap of pure white. Without thinking, she rushed towards it, paying no attention to the sudden screams of her comrades, nor the billowing shadows behind her. All she could see was the dying Pegasus._

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Chibiusa bolted upright in bed, her bubblegum-pink hair sticking out in all angles. "What a weird dream," she murmured.

She had never dreamt anything like it. Sure, she dreamt of flying horses and knights and forests before, but this? This seemed too real to be a dream. In addition, everyone seemed to act like she was the leader. But she dismissed it as just a dream, especially when she remembered that the _Silent Warrior _was there. In fact, she pictured telling Momoko all about it.

'_Hey, Momo-chan, I just had the weirdest dream last night! I was a knight and I was the leader of some sort of weird multicolored army, and then a Pegasus appeared! Oh, and the Silent Warrior was there, and she called me Moon! Weird, huh?'_

Then Chibiusa remembered that she wasn't in Japan anymore, and to text or call her friends in Tokyo would cost extra money.

It had been a week since moving to Montana, and even now, she couldn't stop thinking about Tokyo. Today, however, would be the first day of school in her new country, and while she was practically bilingual, there would be many different things. For instance, she wouldn't have to wear a uniform to this school. It was definitely a change she liked, but also one that would take some getting used to. She couldn't think of anything else at the moment, but she was sure that when she encountered something different, she would know right away.

After pulling on an outfit and eating breakfast, Chibiusa set out the door, on her way to a new school and a new life.

"Be sure to make lots of friends!" Usagi called after her, a huge smile on her face.

The walk wasn't very long—ten minutes at the most. As she reached the school, her first impression of it was…eh. It was a mostly outdoor campus, surrounded by the pine forest. The classrooms were mostly in one area, and from her spot on a hill overlooking the school, she could see the track and football field on the other side. Her face lit up at this, considering that she was on the Track team in Tokyo. Maybe she'd try out here…

Racing down the hill, she made her way towards the new school, which she could see was called Serenity High. However, she had only made it halfway when she was stopped by a rather snobbish-sounding voice.

"Hey, you with the pink hair!"

Chibiusa whipped around, and instantly came face to face with another girl with pink hair. This other girl's hair hung down in loose waves, and was slightly darker than Chibiusa's bubblegum-pink hair. She had sharp, violet eyes, and was wearing a frown.

"Don't you know that _that_ hair color is reserved for me and me alone?" the girl asked rudely, crossing her arms and chewing on a piece of bubble gum. The girl beside her looked like her opposite in appearance, with curly violet hair and pink eyes, but she wore the same expression of disdain. Both of them tossed their hair, waiting for Chibiusa to answer.

"Well, I'm new here," Chibiusa started, unsure of how to answer.

"I'll handle this one," came a new voice, and a third girl came sashaying onto the scene. Her hair was dark, chocolate brown and silky, and her expression was one of deep scorn. She shoved herself into the middle of the two other girls, and from the way they moved out of her way, Chibiusa could guess that she was the leader.

"So you're new here," said the brunette. It was more of a statement than a question. "The name's Grace Blackburn."

"I'm—" Chibiusa began, but Grace cut her off.

"I didn't say you could interrupt me, newbie! Anyway, this is Leslie McKay…" She gestured towards the other pink-haired girl. "…And this is Abigail Wiggins." This time, she gestured at the purple-haired girl.

"Think my name's funny, newbie?" Abigail snapped, as the corners of Chibiusa's mouth had started twitching.

"Anyway," Grace continued, "Feel free to come find us anytime. We specialize in fashion advice—and it looks like you could definitely use some." Leslie and Abigail emitted high-pitched giggles at this. "But for now, just know this. I am the Queen Bee of this school, and there are three rules that you need to know. Les, Abby, why don't you tell this peasant about how this school works?"

"Rule Number One: Always obey the Queen," Leslie stated, blowing a bubble with her gum and popping it.

"Rule Number Two: The Queen is the most popular," Abigail continued, twirling a lock of hair between her fingers.

"And Rule Number Three: No. Stealing. Our. Boyfriends," Leslie and Abigail finished together, putting their faces closer and closer to Chibiusa's with every word. Chibiusa just stared at them with an expression of distaste.

"What makes you think I want to steal your boyfriends?" she inquired. "I mean, they have to be incredibly desperate to want to be with you."

The trio ignored her sarcastic comment. "Anyway," Grace continued. "If you violate these rules, I will personally make sure that your social life is a nightmare." With that, the three tossed their hair again and sashayed off, leaving Chibiusa wondering whether to burst out laughing or yell at them.

"Just ignore them," came a quiet voice to Chibiusa's left. Out of the shadows stepped another girl, this one petite with violet eyes and black hair cropped to her shoulders. Chibiusa did a double take at her appearance. Could it be…?

"You okay?" the girl asked, snapping Chibiusa out of her reverie.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chibiusa said lightly. "What's your name?" _She looks exactly like the Silent Warrior…_

"Hotaru Tomoe," said the girl. "You?"

"Usagi Tsukino-Chiba," she replied swiftly. "But you can call me…" Here, she stopped. Chibiusa was her nickname back in Japan, used because she looked like a miniature version of her mother. But she wasn't exactly Chibi anymore…

"Usa. Call me Usa." There. New country, new school, new life, new nickname. "You want to be friends?"

Hotaru looked rather surprised at this notion. "Yeah…sure!"

"Well, friend," Usa said, digging through her backpack, "Want to compare schedules?"

Hotaru brought hers out with a flash, and smiled for the first time since Usa saw her. "Here. I've got first period English with Goldwood, then Gym with Hall…" She grimaced at that. "I _hate_ Gym."

Usa consulted her own schedule, and then compared it to Hotaru's. "Yep, I've got all classes with you…wait, except for fifth and sixth period. They're switched."

Right after she said that, the bell to first period rang. The two newfound friends glanced at each other, grinned, and walked to first period.

"Well, that was easy," Usa commented upon reaching the door in under a minute. "I was sure we'd get lost."

"Well, it did help that we were already close," Hotaru commented, pulling the door open. Then she dropped her voice a few octaves and said, "After you, Milady!"

Usa laughed at her new friend's antics, and then elicited a girlish giggle for the sake of playing along. "Why thank you, I…" She stopped, for aside from them, the classroom was empty—that is, except for one. But this person wasn't just any person. Usa could swear that he was the reincarnation of Adonis.

Everything about him looked like a handsome prince. His face, his hair, his eyes, his build…everything. His face was pointed, but not exactly sharp, while his wavy, pure white hair hung loosely to just above his neck. Meanwhile, Usa suspected that if he stood up, he would end up being taller than her, and he did appear to be at least somewhat muscular. However, his most striking feature was his eyes. They were like two gorgeous pools of amber, deep and soulful. Usa could stare at them all day.

The boy was concentrating on something earlier, but now he looked up. Their eyes met, and Usa could feel her heart stop. It was like an instant connection. Nothing could spoil this moment, not even—

"Henryyyy!"

Grace Blackburn launched herself from behind Usa and Hotaru into the classroom and the arms of the boy, whose name seemed to be Henry.

So this was the boyfriend nobody was allowed to steal.

A sudden surge of jealousy rocked through Usa, before she calmed herself down with a few breaths. She didn't know this guy at all. He could be a complete jerk. But the more and more she watched, the more and more she doubted it. Henry looked very awkward, especially when Grace didn't let go of him. He finally gently shoved Grace away, giving both her and Usa an apologetic look.

"Usa? Are you okay?" Hotaru's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Oh!" Wrapped up in thoughts of Henry, Usa had forgotten about Hotaru for the moment, and when she turned around, she saw that the black-haired girl was still holding the door open for other people. "Well, do you want to find seats?"

"Sure!" Hotaru replied with a smile, letting go of the door. The two, after walking around for a while, picked two seats next to each other. Hotaru's was next to the window.

A few minutes later, the next bell rang. The last of the students came flitting in, followed by the teacher, a tall, severe-looking woman with long, golden-blonde hair.

"Good morning, class, and welcome to Tenth Grade English," the teacher greeted the class with a smile. "I am Ms. Goldwood, and I will be your teacher for this year."

Usa narrowed her eyes at Ms. Goldwood. Something about her didn't seem quite right. She didn't know whether it was the unusually golden eyes, or the fact that she seemed to be giving Hotaru a rather suspicious look. Hotaru just coughed a couple of times, not really noticing the rather steely glare she was getting. But the teacher's gaze snapped away from Hotaru and with what she probably meant to be a smile but ended up looking more like a leer, she addressed the class again.

"Today, I will share with you my class policies as well as give you an insight on what we will cover for the rest of the year. But first, I want us all to get to know each other. When I call your name, I want you to stand up and tell me and the rest of the class a little bit about yourself." She picked up a clipboard, presumably one with the names of all of the students in her class. "Ailier!"

A brunette sitting in the back of the classroom stood up, albeit rather reluctantly. "Yo. I'm Cheyenne Ailier. I like horror movies and snakes. That's it." With that rather laconic statement, Cheyenne sat back down.

"Blackburn!"

Grace stood up immediately, batting her eyelashes and running her hand through her silky brown hair. "Hello, everybody! I'm Grace Blackburn, future Prom Queen, Homecoming Queen, and captain of the Cheerleading Squad. I love fashion, I live in a huge mansion, I also…"

Usa mostly tuned her out, as well as most of the other students. However, there were a few that stood out, in her mind.

"Harrison!"

A short and somewhat chubby girl with bright blue hair tied back in a loose bun bounce up. "Hi, everybody!" she chirped in a bubbly voice. "I'm Sophine Harrison! Sophine loves reading and playing around with her friends! She also talks mostly in third person, except when she introduces herself." With that, she plopped back down in her seat, looking very pleased with herself.

The list went on. "Stevens!"

Henry stood up, looking rather sheepish. Both Grace and Usa straightened up somewhat when he did. "Hello…I'm Henry Stevens, I like literature and fine art, and I sometimes volunteer at the horse ranch in the nearby town of Vestalia." With that, he sat down as well.

Usa's heart started pounding, right from the very mention of art. She loved drawing and painting, and fantasy creatures such as Pegasi were some of her favorite subjects. And, to cap it all off, she loved horses as well!

"Tomoe!"

Hotaru stood up slowly and very shyly. "Hey," she all but whispered. "My name is Hotaru Tomoe. I collect lamps for fun, and I want to go into medical school and become a nurse. I also like learning about world history." She sat down much more quickly that she stood up, and dissolved into a short fit of coughing.

Usa heard Grace, Leslie, and Abigail giggling and whispering to each other, no doubt about Hotaru. The odango'd-ed girl shot a glare at them.

"Tsukino-Chiba!"

Usa stood up, keeping her chin high. She managed a friendly smile before saying, "Hey, guys! I'm Usagi Tsukino-Chiba, but you can call me Usa." This time she did not hesitate at the new nickname. It was a new life for her, one where she wasn't so Chibi anymore. Usa really did smile at that.

"I love drawing and painting," she continued, "As well as track, and I hope to try out for the track team." With that, she sat down, feeling much more confident than she did before. She looked over at Hotaru, who gave her a rather shy thumbs-up. Usa returned the gesture with a grin.

"Valdez!"

The last person to get called, a rather short but very muscular girl with green hair tied back in a tight ponytail, stood up upon the mention of her name. "Wassup?" she greeted the class, giving them a rather confident smile. She spoke with a hard edge to her voice. "I'm Juana Valdez, I'm very athletic…meaning I like sports a lot. My favorites are track and baseball, I can do fifty pushups at once, and I'm still working to improve that." With a playful wink, she sat back down.

"Well, it is very nice to meet all of you," Ms. Goldwood commented. "Just to let you all know, though, there will be one more student joining us next week. She will be transferring from France, and when she does come, I want you all to be very nice to her. Is that understood?"

There was a general murmur of assent throughout the classroom, punctuated by Sophine Harrison's vow of, "Of course! Sophine will make friends with her and I shall help her around if she needs it!"

"Yes, yes," Ms. Goldwood said. "Now, I would like two people to come and help pass these papers out…"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"So, how do you like Serenity High so far?" Hotaru questioned as the last bell of the day rang, prompting the students to leave their last class.

Usa shrugged. "I don't know. It seems pretty cool. I mean, there are awesome people like you, but then there are airheads like Grace and her stooges. And _Gym class_. Just…Gym class. I just hope track isn't that bad!"

Hotaru giggled at this. "Now that I would agree with. But I'm not trying out for track; I'm not much of a sport person."

"Aww, it's be awesome to have a friend try out with me," Usa commented with a smile. "But that's totally fine. Hey, want to go the mall with me tonight?"

"Oh…" Hotaru stopped smiling at this. "That'd be really fun and all, but I can't. I think I'm coming down with a cold or something."

"Oh." Usa wasn't quite sure what to say. "Well…get well soon! Rest and eat lots of soup!"

Hotaru's smile returned to her face. "Okay…I'll do that! See you, Usa!"

"Bye, Hotaru!" Usa replied with a wave, as the two walked in their separate directions. Again, the walk to Usa's house only took about ten minutes, but she was still exhausted all the same. After greeting her mother (Mamoru was still at work, and Kousagi's new school got out later than Usa's did), she hurried along the hallway and promptly threw her backpack on her bed.

"Hey, watch where you throw that!" a rather indignant voice squawked from on top of the bed.

Usa screamed.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

**Author's Note: So, another chapter done, and while there is no action here, she meets quite a lot of important people…and there's still some more to come!**

**Reviews are appreciated, as well as constructive criticism! Flames, however, are not.**


	4. Awakening

**Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.**

"Hey, watch where you throw that!" a rather indignant voice squawked from on top of the bed.

Usa screamed.

"Shh, keep it down!" the voice hissed, a sense of urgency hidden in its—well, her, considering the voice sounded very female—tone. "We can't have anyone notice us! This information I'm about to give you is top secret!"

It was at this point when Usa wondered exactly what was going on with her brain. She could have been dreaming…but then again, this felt all too real to be a dream.

Just like the one with the knights, Pegasus, and Silent Warrior.

She considered this for a second. Maybe this disembodied voice, as crazy as it sounded, held an answer to that. Perhaps this was the start of something greater than she could ever fathom. Hey, it happened to the Silent Warrior in the comics! And besides, if that wasn't the case, then if she had one very vivid dream, she could have another. This thought was what prompted Usa to slowly close the bedroom door behind you.

"So…" Usa began rather slowly. "Why don't you show yourself, then, if you want to share something with me?"

The backpack shuffled, before a paw poked its way out from under it. Following the paw was a lithe gray shape, small but graceful with shining ruby-colored eyes.

It was the cat from last week.

Usa stared at it, not daring to say a word. Her mouth simply hung open, while her crimson-colored eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets. A talking cat? Out of all the things the voice could have belonged to?

_I thought there was something odd about those cafeteria mashed potatoes,_ she thought.

Paying no attention to her incredulous expression, the cat cleared her throat, and continued speaking. "Sorry to give you such a scare, but it is imperative that I reach you. My name is Diana, and I've been watching you for the past week. And now, there is no doubt in my mind that you are the one I have been searching for."

"The one…" Usa repeated, dumbfounded. "You've…been…searching…"

Diana nodded, giving Usa a catlike smile before sitting down in a refined manner, wrapping her tail around her paws. "Indeed. Now, you can stop gaping at me, for I'm the least of your worries. But I do have something for you."

The crescent-shaped mark on Diana's forehead began to glow, causing Usa to back up a few paces. A talking magical cat that glows? Yes, this was definitely a cafeteria-food-induced dream.

Finally, after a final burst of light, something appeared in front of Diana and on Usa's bed.

Usa blinked, then stepped closer to the object, which appeared to be a necklace. Upon closer inspection, the necklace was a brown leather cord with a single pendant and a few small, round, silver beads on each side. The pendant was rather small, and resembled something of a padlock in shape. The metal was copper, and while it was mostly bronze in color, it has begun to take somewhat of a silvery glow upon Usa coming closer. Sealed onto the middle of the ancient pendant was a small, white, round stone. _A moonstone,_ she realized.

"Is this…mine?" she asked hesitantly.

Diana nodded, though her smile had vanished. "It is yours…yet there seems to be something missing. There's supposed to be a silver crystal protruding out of the bottom."

Usa picked up the pendant. It felt very warm, and filled the pinkette with a feeling that felt comforting at the same time as energizing. She turned it over, and sure enough, there was a hole at the bottom. She presumed that this was where the silver crystal was supposed to go.

"So what does it do?" she questioned. "I mean, I like the necklace and all…but I'm not so sure why you'd just randomly give me a necklace."

"It's not just any necklace," Diana explained. "It's both an amulet made to protect and to link the soldier of the moon to her power."

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Usa cut in, not quite daring to believe what she had just heard. "Soldier of the moon? And you're giving this to me…why?"

Diana's smile returned to her face. "That soldier of the moon is you. You see, there's a group of knights hidden among today's society, unaware of their true powers. After watching you for the past week, I have come to the conclusion that you are one of these."

Usa stared at the amulet, then back at Diana. Then, with a sudden glint in her red eyes, a rather steely expression settled on her face. "Prove it."

"Certainly," replied Diana. "There is one way to find out for sure. Just clasp the amulet in your hands, and in your mind, connect with the power held within it. If my hypothesis is correct, then you will transform, even without the power of the Silver Crystal."

Usa nodded, and cupped the pendant in her hands, figuring that if nothing happened then she could always just shoo the cat and live on from there, for by now she wasn't sure whether this was a dream or reality. She closed her eyes and tried her best to reach her mind out to this power, even though she had no idea how to do so. _Come to me, power of the moon,_ she thought, trying her best to speed up the process or even get a result.

But then, all of a sudden, Usa felt herself being enveloped by a warm light, the same sort of comforting warm as the temperature of the amulet. This happened for a few short seconds before the amulet shot out of her hand, the warmth ceased, and Usa fell to the ground with a thud. Gingerly, she stood up, but nothing could prepare her for what she saw.

She was wearing a suit of armor.

However, as if the sudden wardrobe change wasn't enough, this wasn't just any suit of armor that she'd find in a fairytale. First of all, the silver chest plate seemed to shimmer with the light of the moon—in fact, there was a crescent moon carved on the right side. Carved on the left side was what looked like a tree*, with tiny dots that resembled stars spread across the chest plate. The stomach was segmented, silver, and was also adorned with stars. The shoulder pads were golden and triple-layered**, while the golden gauntlets acted quite a bit like gloves, segmented at her knuckles and wrists and extending all the way to right below her elbow. These were decorated with the same carving of the tree that was on her chest plate. Meanwhile, the boots were also golden, as was the tiara that glimmered on her forehead, with a pink jewel at the center. The skirt was double-layered; the bottom layer being golden panels and the top being smaller cloth panels of light pink. However, the curious thing about this suit of armor was the pink cloth "sailor kerchief", giving the whole look the appearance of a fuku. It was fastened together by a golden crescent moon-shaped clip, and as it extended over her shoulders, it became a cape, with shimmering silver-colored runes on the back. Underneath it all was a layer of light pink padding, the parts of which not covered with anything else being covered with silver chain mail. She also wore a brown leather belt, with a shining silver scabbard attached, with yet more runes carved into it. It lacked a sword.

"Forged for the castor of divine light," Usa read, not even sure how she was able to translate the ancient runes. "She who sails the Sea of Serenity."

Diana smiled, looking at the newfound warrior like a mother whose child had just learned how to walk.

"That is you," she said, ruby-red eyes gleaming with wonder. "You are Sailor Moon, the leader of the Sailor Warriors, an elite force of female knights specifically chosen for the task at hand—to fight evil and protect the world."

"But I…what about my life?" Usa blurted out. "Friends, school…I'm only fifteen!"

"You can still live like a normal girl," Diana reassured her. "You just have a special task that you must fulfill. I shall help you along the way, and in addition, you are not alone. There are other Sailor Warriors out there, and they will be your allies. I already have suspects for at least three, while the last two either remain under my radar or live in another part of the world.

"But why today?" Usa inquired. "Why not wait until I'm older or something?"

"Because the enemy has already made its first strike," Diana replied grimly. "The mall is in grave danger."

She thought about this for a minute. She had no idea how to fight. She could possibly even get killed. Yet so could hundreds of people if she did not step in. Usa—no, Sailor Moon's—face was set. "What do I need to do?"

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Fueled by an unusually high amount of adrenaline, presumably a side effect of being a Sailor Warrior, Sailor Moon reached the mall in less than five minutes and, incredibly, was not tired out from excess running. This was a good thing, for from the instance the newfound Warrior stepped in the mall, she could see the problem.

It looked like a giant bull—at first. But this bull was obviously not normal. For one, it seemed to be made almost entirely out of silver sheet metal, with bolts and gears for joints. But when really caught Sailor Moon's attention was the numerous bodies littered around the floor she and the bull were on. This made Moon feel sick. People had _died_, and this _thing_ was to blame.

"Hey! Leave those innocent people alone!" she shouted. The bull, whose attention was previously directed towards a terrified family cowering in a corner, turned to face Moon.

And that's when she remembered that she had no sword.

_Shit!_ she thought. _Why give me a scabbard but forget the sword?_

Sensing her moment of weakness, the bull opened its metal jaws wide and blasted a column of fire at her like a dragon would. Moon screamed and dived out of the way just in time.

_I can't just keep dodging it,_ she thought, dodging again as the bull opened fire on her a second time. But then, she was seized by a mad idea. She reached behind her and grabbed her cape, and then waved it at the bull like a matador would. It wasn't red, but it was the closest thing.

And sure enough, it worked. The bull screeched angrily like an owl, then charged at the cape. Moon sidestepped the creature, and as a result, it crashed into the wall. Using this moment as an advantage, she grabbed for the first thing she could use as a possible weapon—her tiara. To her complete and utter surprise, the tiara took on a silvery glow, and instantly started to heat up in her hand. Not knowing what else to do, Sailor Moon threw it like a Frisbee right at the metal bull, using its non-attentiveness to her advantage.

There was a colossal explosion. Moon felt herself being thrown back, her hands instinctively covering her ears. Several people screamed and also dived out of the way from the explosion.

After the initial shock, Moon slowly rose to her feet, and looked at the scene before her. The bull was gone. _I did that,_ she realized, subconsciously holding her hand out as her tiara came whizzing back into her grasp. She was a superhero, and that was the reality. She was definitely not dreaming, and as she brushed the dust off the armor, she just so happened to look up. About twenty or so golden orbs floated in midair. No one else seemed to notice them. In a sort of wondrous state, she reached up to grab them in midair. But just as she did so, they faded.

The sound of sirens jerked Sailor Moon back to the present. No doubt it was the police coming to investigate the situation, as well as several ambulances and quite possibly the media as well. Quickly, she turned and sped out of the mall, right before the first wave of police officers and fire fighters came rushing in.

"Well done, fair maiden," a voice whispered in the Warrior's ear. She jumped, before glancing behind her and finding no one. Perhaps she imagined that?

Meanwhile, a dark figure watched the entire scene unfold from a distance. She said nothing, only observing as the fight ensued and the bull exploded.

Then the figure smiled and vanished.

**Author's Note: Finally, another chapter and our first taste of action! Sailor Moon has her first battle, and already there are two mysterious people! Well, you can probably guess one, if not both.**

*** The tree I'm referring to is a willow tree, a tree that symbolizes the moon.**

**** Think Sailor Moon's shoulder guards in their Super form in the anime, except metal, gold, and nontransparent.**


End file.
